


i don't think i want to leave you

by opalstarunbecoming



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Adoption, Found Family, Hurt/Comfort, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Realistic AU, everyone is an orphan lol, halo 3 rat, medeveil setting kinda, no beta we die like l'manberg, none of that 3 lives shit, ooc probably, sbi thinks tommy is dead lol, side character dies lol, slight sprinkle of crack
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-17 15:35:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28727439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/opalstarunbecoming/pseuds/opalstarunbecoming
Summary: Niki finds an injured toddler in the woods. She, of course, takes him home. Cue fluffy sibling bonding.Elsewhere, a family mourns the loss of their youngest.Coincidence? Not at all.OLD VERSION, NEW VERSION IN WORKS
Relationships: Cara | CaptainPuffy & Eret & Niki | Nihachu, Cara | CaptainPuffy & Toby Smith | Tubbo, Eret & Niki | Nihachu & TommyInnit, No Romantic Relationship(s), Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & Phil Watson
Comments: 54
Kudos: 258





	1. new beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> title from "i'm sorry boris", by wilbur soot
> 
> ngl not my best work, a couple parts are rushed or don't make sense or whatever. please tell me if you need clarification for anything
> 
> i really just wanted to get this out here already before i lose steam lol

The beginning of the day was like any other.

She had been wandering around the forest by herself, wanting a break from her usual afternoon activities of drawing or baking. The woods were familiar; having lived in this area for her whole life, she knew every inch of them. So, when she spotted a path she hadn’t explored before (that she’s positive she hadn’t seen last time she was there), she decided to investigate.

The trail was definitely new, judging by the trampled bushes and what looked like (fresh) blood on the forest floor that definitely wasn’t there before. (In retrospect, she probably should’ve been at least a little more concerned, but it all worked out in the end.) It continued for quite a bit, before finally leading to a clearing that she  _ finally  _ recognized.

She doesn't remember exactly what she was expecting. Maybe an injured bear, or perhaps, a wandering trader? Whatever it was, it definitely wasn't a Nether portal and an unconscious (or dead, part of her mind whispers) toddler covered in blood just meters away from it.

Niki immediately went for the child, suppressing her curiosity of the portal. She first checked to see if he was breathing by shoving her ear to his chest. Relief flooded her system when she heard the telltale  _ thump, thump, thump,  _ of a living heart, albeit faint. Looking him over, she could see that the child- a boy, probably- was covered in cuts and bruises, and what looked like a broken ankle.

Niki, being a child herself, didn't know what to do about his multiple injuries. It didn't help that she had absolutely no idea how long he had been there. For all anyone knew, he could've been there for days, maybe even  _ weeks _ .

She twisted her sight away from the gore to the west, where dusk had painted the horizon with orange (Had it really been that long? she was supposed to be home by now), and tried to think. She didn't know how much time she had to save him- for all she knew, he could be on the brink of death, ready to kick the bucket at any second. (In hindsight, it was a bit dramatic, but she still couldn't blame younger Niki. It wasn't like she had ever been in a situation like that before.)

She only had one option- carry him all the way back to her village. From this far out, it would take about forty minutes, maybe thirty if she speed walks. Then, there’s the issue of her not being sure about her ability to carry a child for that long without any breaks, but it wasn’t like there were any better options.

Carefully, lifted the boy up from the ground and wrapped the boy in her thin jacket, hugging him to her chest (just like she does with Tubbo). She turned to where the path led to the town, and began the trek home.

The trip to the village was a complete blur- all she remembers is dread pooling in her stomach as the sky darkened and the occasional, pitiful cough or tremble from the child in her arms. She recalls the exhaustion, too, creeping into her arms first, then to her legs and stomach as hunger set in. Still, so close to her destination, she continued forth.

She had walked about fifteen steps past the village gates when someone called her name from ahead. Niki's head snapped up, having been staring at the ground for however long, to see a familiar person running at her.

"Niki! Oh God, Niki," Eret cried, sunglasses nearly falling off their face.

Arms wrapped around her, squeezing her into a light hug. The girl leaned into them, almost collapsing into the person's chest, but then remembered the child she was carrying. She opened her mouth to explain everything, but Eret started before she could.

"Niki, where were you? It's dark out, mobs will start spawning any minute, if they hadn't already. You know that, why did you go… so far… out…" Their rant faded out as the blood all over the girl (that Niki hadn't noticed was there, either, until that moment) and her exhaustion registered, face twisting into one of horror.

"Niki… what…?" The girl stepped back again, weakly shaking Eret's hands away. She opened her mouth to speak, but she could only produce a few pathetic squeaks. Instead, she just shoved the child still bundled in her jacket into the older person's arms.

They looked at her for a second, confused, before peering down at the bundle.

Their face turned to one of shock, looking at the toddler, then at Niki, then at the toddler, then at Niki, then back at the toddler. They sputtered, trying and failing to form a sentence.

It was then that Puffy, along with two guards wearing armor, ran up behind them. The girl placed a hand on Eret's shoulder, panting. 

"Oh, hah, thank God, Niki, hah… You-you're back, hah, where, did…" Her expression also melted into one of confusion as she caught sight of the toddler in the brunet's arms.

Niki took the silence from the two fifteen-year-olds as her cue to explain.

"I-I found h-him very hurt in a, uh, clearing, with a… portal. A-a purple, swirly o-one."

Eret's gaze snapped up to look at Niki incredulously, but stayed silent. Puffy hummed, continuing to stare at the toddler. 

As the three of them stood in silence, the girl suddenly became aware of the, ah,  _ audience _ , they had attracted, consisting of the two guards that Puffy brought with her, as well as some random people coming home from work or shopping. It wasn't very large, considering it was pretty dark and most of the villagers were at home. Still, it was still enough for Niki to feel self-conscious about her ruined clothes and weary appearance.

Puffy interrupted her thoughts. 

“Well, take him to the hospital! Let’s go!” That seemed to shake Eret out of their daze, quickly standing up. He carefully handed the child to Puffy, who immediately started running in the direction of the clinic, guards following her.

Eret then picked her up, and started speed-walking in the same direction. Niki wasted no time in falling asleep, nestled in her sibling’s arms.

(None of them knew how much their life was going to change from then on. None of them would regret it.)

* * *

Phil tore through the halls at record pace. He gave no acknowledgement to the ruined curtains, smashed pottery, and blood-stained carpets as he passed by them. Even the corpses, he only spared a glance for, as he was looking for something far more important than anything else there.

Techno and Wilbur ran far behind him, quickly but still much slower than Phil. It was better like that, anyway, because who knows what could be waiting for them in that room.

Sure, the baby could be perfectly safe, patiently waiting for them in his room, but judging by the bodies of servants and guards (and enemies, the vengeful him whispered), it wasn’t likely. What they were more likely to find in there was simply an empty room, or perhaps, a group of assassins waiting to ambush them, or…

_ Images of his youngest son bloody and cold and lifeless and far too grey flashed through his mind- _

The winged hybrid shook his head. That was the worst case scenario. Surely, their attackers weren’t evil enough to kill a child. They couldn’t be. They better not be. 

Phil ignored the dread that pooled in his stomach the closer he got to his son’s room.

He burst through the doors of the room, briskly walking to the crib on the opposite side of the room. His fear was someone Everything seemed to be in order, everything left the same since the last time Phil was there. What alarmed him, though, was the unnatural silence, because the king’s youngest son was anything  _ but _ quiet, especially if he’s been left by himself in a room for nearly a full day.

He heard the familiar tip-tap of his children’s shoes behind him. “Is Theseus-”

He threw an arm out, the universal signal to stop. He put on what he hoped was a reassuring smile, and looked at the boys behind them. They came to a screeching halt behind him, Wilbur having stopped mid-sentence. He was clearly worried, fear and horror written all over his face. Techno was far more stoic than his younger brother, looking much less distressed, but Phil had no doubt that he was just as worried.

“Stay out of the room for now, okay? I just… I don’t want you seeing anything you shouldn’t.”

Wilbur took a step forward and opened his mouth to protest, but Techno put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him back. Neither of the boys said anything, only staring at him. Phil turned away, and walked the last few steps to the crib.

He inhaled sharply, suppressing his fear, and looked down at where his son should be.

It was empty.

(The Antarctic Empire was never the same after that moment.)


	2. to be a family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One family is formed, while another is torn apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> word count: 2,321

The next day was just as strange as the first, but in entirely different ways.

For one, she woke up in a hospital bed at what must’ve been three or four in the morning, based on the inky black outside the window. Eret was sleeping in a chair adjacent to the bed, sunglasses left on the minitable next to it. A quilt had been draped over them, corners of it tucked in between the chair and the wall. The room was dimly lit, the lantern hanging by the door on the opposite end of the room, giving the small room a cozy feel.

It took her a second to recall what had happened the previous day. Something about walking through the forest, a new trail, a mysterious portal… oh, yeah, she carried a dying toddler through the forest yesterday. A wave of worry and dread washed over, her and she sprung out of bed, not noticing the other occupant of the room stirring.

  
The dashed over to the door, only pausing to glance at herself in the mirror. The dirt and sweat and blood from yesterday had been wiped away and her hair was combed. The now ruined dress she had been wearing yesterday had been replaced by a clean set of pajamas from home. The only injuries she had been sustained were some scratches on her legs from the underbrush, treated with multicolored band aids.

Niki was fairly certain that the fresh set of clothing and the quilt covering her older sibling was Puffy’s doing. Despite being the same age as Eret, she had always been like an older sister to both of them. She was the closest thing the girl had to a mother, her own having left them when she was about four years old. 

According to Eret, after their dad had gone to a nice farm in upstate New York (wherever that is), their mother just wasn’t the same. Niki remembers little of the woman, and from what she can recall… she wasn’t the nicest. Eret doesn’t like talking about her, though, so Niki doesn’t dwell on it for longer than she needs to.

Niki turned away from her reflection, focusing on her task of locating the injured boy from yesterday. The door creaked as she opened it, and she stepped into the hallway-

“N-Niki? Where are you going?” a groggy voice questioned from behind her.

The girl in question jumped, and swiveled around. Eret sat wide awake in the chair they had been sleeping in just moments before, staring at her with their sunglasses on (why they were so insistent on always wearing them, Niki will never know). The pair stared at each other, unmoving, for a minute longer before Eret threw the blanket off and stood up, briskly walking to her. Niki took a step back, but didn’t run away. The teenager lightly tugged her back into the room by her arm. The door creaked shut behind them without the weight of the girl keeping it open.

The older of the two took in a deep breath and released their grip on her arm before patting a spot on the bed for her to sit at. She complied, plopping down on the bed. Eret followed suit, sitting on the bed next to her, and continued.

“Niki, where were you going?”

The ten year old avoided their gaze, opting to stare at her lap as she fidgeted with the hem of her shirt.

“To visit that… um, toddler.” There was a beat of silence before she continued. “I-I just wanted to make sure he’s okay, since he was really hurt, and I, I just…” Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, nervousness swirling in her stomach like a blender.

“Niki, Niki… it’s okay. You did the right thing.” 

The girl inhaled and looked up, her sibling smiling warmly at her. “I’m not sure I would’ve done that, if I was in your shoes. I’m proud of you.” Niki blinked her tears away, fear draining away to be replaced by relief. Eret wrapped in a hug, and this time, Niki let herself fall into it. 

They sit in a comfortable silence, soaking in the moment. Eret, while very caring, wasn’t exactly affectionate. Hugs were a rarity. Not that Niki was upset with that, of course, as Puffy and Tubbo filled that gap for her. Still, it was times like these that were most memorable to the brunette.

Unfortunately, though, all good things come to an end, and Eret pulled away from the hug. They then got up again to go sit back down in their chair, but not before making one last statement.

“I promise that we can go see him tomorrow. For now, though, please get some rest. You have a long day ahead of you.”

They tucked her into bed before wrapping themselves up in the quilt from earlier and plopping down on the chair. Niki would’ve laughed at how ridiculous he looked if she weren’t so tired. And so, she shut her eyes, the words “I love you” lulling her to sleep.

_ Her dreams are kind to her that night, filled with colors and flowers and cake and family. It was as if her subconscious knew before she did about the chaos that would erupt in the hours after her wake. _

Niki is woken up by Eret, this time. The sun filters in through the window, lighting up the room without assistance from a lantern. Muffled voices can be heard from the floor below hers and the hallway just outside of her room. A change of clothing, one of her plain dresses, sits neatly folded on the minitable.

“Good morning,” they say in a hushed voice, “hope you slept well. Sorry for waking you this early, but the guard wants to interview you as soon as possible. I brought you one of your dresses to change into. You might want to hurry if you want enough time to eat breakfast, they’re taking us to the station in about thirty minutes.”

Niki yawns and mutters an affirmation as her sibling exits the room. They shut the door softly behind them, leaving the girl by herself. She changes into the dress (her favorite one, in fact) and spins around in the mirror for a few seconds before being interrupted by a knock at the door. A kindly nurse entered the room, checking her heart rate and asking her how she feels before handing her a plain tray with a sandwich, an apple, and a cup of milk. She finishes her meal just as Eret and two iron-clad guards enter the room, telling her that it’s time to go.

While incredibly hectic, nothing particularly interesting goes down for the rest of the morning and afternoon. She was just asked questions upon questions, over and over again by different people, before finally getting sent out with a group of guards on horses to confirm the location of the portal from yesterday.

That was perhaps the only interesting part of the day. The portal was still there, which strangely enough, had surprised Niki. Part of her believed it to be a figment of her imagination, a trick of the light (not that it made any sense, of course). But, no, there it was, in all its mysterious, somewhat terrifying glory.

She was dropped off at her house when the investigation was finally over. The guard had spoken with Eret, telling them that they needed to go back to the hospital at some point that day to discuss something of utmost importance. Niki chose not to dwell on it, though, and instead, tended to her flowers in the back. It was simple, yet rewarding work, like baking, but with far less setup involved. All she had to do was pick up a watering can, fill it up, and work away. 

(Adults have told her before that she’s very mature for her age. Niki isn’t sure if she should take that as a compliment or not.)

Puffy gathered everyone together for an early dinner that evening. She even convinced (read: forced) Schlatt to attend. The meal was one of Niki’s favorite, beetroot stew. The table was mostly quiet, save for the mostly incoherent babbles of the one-year-old Tubbo, but Niki didn’t mind. If anything, she was grateful; the day was filled with talking and talking and talking, the last thing she needed was more of it.

She and Eret waved goodbye to the sheep-hybrid family as they walked to the clinic for (hopefully) that last time in the next few weeks. The path was lit up by lanterns, the warm glow contrasting the lifeless cobblestone under their feet. Upon their arrival at the clinic, they were ushered to the room of the toddler from before, except this time he’s all patched up and clean and awake. (A weight Niki hadn’t realized was there was lifted off her chest when she saw he was alright.) A doctor as well as a guard lead Eret into a different room to discuss something important, leaving just her, a nurse, and the baby together.

The toddler is babbling nonsense, pointing at Niki and then the ground and then screeching at the top of his lungs and then pointing at the nurse and then at the ceiling and screaming again- 

“He’s very loud,” the nurse chuckles. The girl nods her head in agreement. The blonde, as if somehow knowing that the comment was about him, made a face before going back to his previous activity of screaming at random things.

“He’s been like this nonstop since he woke up for good this afternoon. I think he’s just bored, but we don’t have any toys for him here.” Niki tilted her head, and asked, “What do you mean, ‘for good?’”

The nurse’s smile faded slightly. “I’m sorry, but I’m not allowed to tell you that. Patients deserve privacy, even if they are toddlers.”

Niki hummed, and turned away. She approached the toddler, who was dressed in a plain white gown and covered in bandages, in his makeshift crib. His babbling paused when she came closer, twisting his head around to look at her. She stuck a hand out as a greeting, which he promptly responded to by biting her finger. It didn’t hurt at all, as he only had a few teeth. Pain didn’t seem to be his intent, though, based on his crazed giggles when she pulled her hand away.

They continued to repeat it, her sticking a finger out and him trying to bite it, over and over again, his laughter infecting Niki and eventually the nurse watching them as well. They were interrupted, though, by the reeneterence of the doctor, the guard, and Eret. The third looked nervous, a little scared, even. They started first.

“Niki,” they said, “how do you feel about having another sibling?” Niki tilted her head in confusion. 

“What do you mean…?” 

Then it clicked.

She looked at the toddler, then at Eret, then at the toddler, then at Eret, back and forth, back and forth…

“Really?!” she exclaimed, a grin spreading across her face.

Eret sighed, smiling wearily. “Yeah… for now, at least.” Her smile faltered before they continued.

“I just want to warn you, it’s not permanent. It’s just until his family is found. We’re taking him in because we were the ones to find him.”

“Oh.” Niki visibly deflated, but then smiled again when she turned to the baby. 

“Well, since we’re gonna be living together, what’s your name?”

The toddler, who had been strangely silent the past few minutes, grinned and yelled, “Tees!”

Eret scoffed playfully behind them. “He needs a better nickname than Tees.”

The room stood in silence for a moment, before the nurse made a suggestion.   
  
“How about Tommy? I think it suits him.”

Niki smiled, scooping the child out of the makeshift crib and into her arms.

“Yeah, I like that. Nice to meet you, Tommy!”

* * *

Meanwhile, the empire searches for their beloved Prince Theseus.

The citizen was called on to give any information at all about his whereabouts to the authorities. Any guards not in the battlefield were searching every corner of the country, no,  _ continent _ for any signs of the child.

_ Or his body,  _ Phil thought somberly.

He, too, was searching for his son, soaring through the skies and scanning the land below with a trained eye.

It had been a full day since he disappeared, since the castle was sieged, and there was still nothing about what happened to him. The enemy soldiers had all either died or disappeared, leaving zero clues as to what happened to his boy.

Techno and Wilbur had been hidden away in the guts of the castle, guarded by his closest allies. They had volunteered to help search, but it was instantly shot down by Phil. 

_ Not after what happened to Theseus,  _ he said,  _ I can’t lose another son. _

The pessimistic part of him hoped that the boy was dead, left to rot in an ice field somewhere, because if he wasn’t, then he was surely in the hands of the enemies. Death was not the worst thing you could give another person, after all.

_ “Dad! Dad, where’s Theseus, where is he?!” Wilbur had screamed. “Please! Where is he, please!” _

_ Hearing the terrible choked sobs of his son was the second worst thing to happen that night. _

_ “Wilbur-” _

_ The boy in question snapped his head up, eyes full of fury. “Why couldn’t you protect him?! Why did you leave him alone!?” _

_ Phil said nothing. _

_ The silence seemed to enrage Wilbur, and he shot up from where he had slumped onto the floor. What he said next was not a shout, instead, an icy cold statement.  _

_ “You killed him.” _

_ With that, he sprinted out of the room. Techno spared a glance at his father before following his brother. _

_ Phil sunk down, leaning against the empty crib.  _

_ He preferred the yelling. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i like this chap better than the first ngl, it flows a bit better i think. my fav part is the first bit before that wacky dream transition. also i wrote this late at night lol, please tell me about any weird bits or mistakes i cant think rn
> 
> some fun facts about this story:  
> \- i have it planned up to chapter 5, woot woot  
> \- this village sucks lol theyre making a couple of kids with no parents take care of a baby wtf  
> \- i made up niki's fav food lol, there's no reason for beetroot stew lol
> 
> ok goodnight


	3. a rainy june's day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy is loved more than he will ever know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> word count: 2,118
> 
> important announcement at the end

And just like that, a full month had gone by. Not that Niki was complaining, of course. Tommy was… a handful, to say the least, but she wouldn't have it any other way.

Niki's life had changed a lot since his arrival. For one, she no longer has the free time to bake or draw or simply walk around by herself anymore. It wasn't surprising, considering Eret went through the same thing when the siblings were abandoned, but it was frustrating nonetheless. As much as she cared for the toddler, she still needed moments for herself sometimes.

Speaking of Eret, they were now incredibly busy with their second job, leaving Niki to care for Tommy mostly on her own. (Puffy also helped from time to time, but she had her own family to take care of.) They were already pretty busy with their first job, working full-time during the weekdays, but with the new member, they had to take a second one on the weekends.

(If Niki hears them sobbing in their room late at night when they think the others are sleeping, she doesn't say anything about it.)

Another change in her life was that she had to share her room with the toddler, now. Niki and Eret had shared the bigger of the two rooms, the latter having moved into the smaller room once both parents had…left, leaving Niki with an oversized room meant for two.

It had been mostly barren before, consisting only of the basics: a bed, a wardrobe, and a desk with a chair. The walls and floor were plain, the only feature pinning the room as hers being the old toy chest sitting by the closet that she hadn't touched since she was seven, and the three photos- the first being of her and Eret when they were two and seven respectively, the second of them with Puffy and Schlatt, and third being of Tubbo only weeks after he was born- that sat on the corner of her desk. Her completed drawings were often given to either Eret or Puffy, any others were left in the drawer or the trash can.

Simply put, it was a room. Not hers, not really, just a room. 

Now, though, with her and Tommy sharing the space, the space was a lot more lively. Niki would be lying if she said that she didn't prefer it like this, even if it was a lot more crowded.

Niki's bed and wardrobe had been crammed into the wall just across from the door, her desk having been moved so that it sat next to said door. Eret had dragged the rickety crib that they and Niki had used when they were babies out of the attic, now serving as Tommy's until he was old enough for a proper bed. They had also dragged an old bedside table from the aforementioned attic to be his dresser for the time being, since he was a baby and babies don't need that many clothes. (This was a mistake on Niki’s part. Turns out Tommy is a lot messier than she estimated he’d be.)

The previously unused toy box was now filled with toys, some being ones that Tubbo hadn't gotten attached to (he only really used one, actually, a stuffed bee that Schlatt had bought for him in the market) and others being donated from concerned slash pitying neighbors. The once simple, tan walls were covered in crudely drawn pictures (they were more akin to scribbles, but Niki could see the intention behind them… kinda) and colorful crayon markings that Niki couldn't completely wash out.

The room was a mess, and it was a lot harder to sleep with a baby babbling at random times in the night, but the girl was fine with it. It was more of a home than it had ever been before.

Speaking of babies babbling in the middle of the night...

Niki grumbles, sleepily rolling out of her bed. Tommy was crying, which wasn't too loud on it's own, but the girl knew better than anyone that it would devolve into a screaming fit if he didn't get what he wanted. Sometimes, he was just hungry, and she would go retrieve something from the pantry downstairs. Other times, he was just bored, and she'd have to play with him until he was satisfied.

On very rare occasions, (if every week counts as rare, since he's been there a month), though, he would have a nightmare. The boy would refuse to let go of her when she picked him up and would cry and cry and cry-

At that point, she would just take him to her bed and fall asleep with him snuggled in her arms. It was the only thing that would make him calm down, after all. The next morning, he would wake up bright and early all fine and dandy, as if nothing happened. 

It's concerning, to say the least, but it's nothing Niki can't handle. 

The doctor had told her that Tommy's nightmares were probably caused by the trauma, a word Niki didn't entirely understand, and that the best thing to do when he had them was to just hold him and reassure him that she was there for him.

They had done checkups with the doctor every week since they took Tommy in, keeping track of the boy's (thankfully minor) injuries. The week before was the final appointment with him before they would let him go, as there was nothing more they could do ( _ except _ , Niki had heard the doctor tell Eret,  _ provide therapy if he's still struggling when he's older.  _ Niki had asked about it, but Eret told her not to worry about it).

As it seems, this was one of those occasions.

Tommy clung to the hem of her shirt when she lifted him out of the crib, sobbing into the cloth. Niki's heart broke in half at the sight, and there was no hesitation in deciding to take him to her bed for the rest of the night. With one arm, she grabbed Tommy's plush cow, named Henry, and turned back to the bed.

She set the toddler and his plush on the bed for a minute so she could adjust her pillows to make room for him. That, even, was too much for him and the boy immediately erupted in more tears (somehow) and jumbled pleas. He kept saying no and a slurred version of her name, and reaching his little arms out to her. Niki opted to hold onto him with one hand while fixing the bed with her other.

The task only took a few seconds to complete, even with one arm, but it felt like it had been hours with Tommy’s wailing. As soon as she was done, though, she scooped him up and smothered him in a hug. Her shirt was uncomfortably warm and soggy, with the boy's hot tears and snot soaking through the cloth, but she didn't mind (much).

She lowered herself onto the bed, mindful of the crying baby in her arms. She nudged an extra blanket with her foot up to them, wrapping it around the pair with an arm, and fell still.

Tommy snuggled into her chest, wails dying down into mere sniffles. The iron grip on her shirt, however, did not waver. He continued to clutch her shirt, as if she would get up and walk away if he wasn't practically attached to her.

Niki doesn't know exactly how long it took for him to fall asleep, only that by the time she had realized he was, the sky had lightened to a murky blue. The ten year old had slipped in and out of unconsciousness, waking up at the slightest shift of Tommy. Soon, however, his cries turned to soft snores, and his fists slackened against her.

Torpor washed over Niki when she realized he was finally asleep, and she welcomed it with open arms. She drifted into slumber without any fight.

(It was in that split second before she fell asleep that she decided that no matter what, she will stay with Tommy. It's a promise that will never be vocalized, yet faithfully honored nonetheless.)

* * *

"It's a shame it doesn't rain in the Antarctic."

Techno glances to his left, where Wilbur stands. It's the first thing he's heard the boy say in weeks, since… that. It shows, too, his voice hoarse.

If Phil hears him, he doesn't say anything. He continues to listen to the priest talk about how young Theseus was, how great he was, how everyone is going to miss him.

Techno would be lying if he said he wasn't at least a  _ little _ upset that some random guy who never even met his brother is speaking about him at the funeral, but he wasn't going to say anything. Phil, at the very least, seemed to be content with the eulogy, eyes shut and head board besides the man.

Techno and Wilbur stood side by side, dressed in matching dark suits and bedazzled crowns that were far too bright for the occasion. Phil stood solemnly next to the priest, dressed in a similar dark suit, the only exception being his similar crown and the light blue cape symbolizing the Antarctic Empire.

(Sometimes, Techno wishes he wasn't adopted by a king. He'd never,  _ ever,  _ say it out loud, and of course, he was incredibly grateful for everything Phil had given him, but…)

Techno was suddenly aware that the priest was now silent. His head, as well as the crowds below them, was bowed to the floor. Techno copied them.

(If they weren't royalty, maybe Theseus would still be safe in his crib. Maybe Phil wouldn't have to leave every other month for alliances and battles. Maybe Wilbur would still write songs and sing.)

The priest steps back, allowing room for Phil to take his place. The winged man fidgets with his hands behind his back. It wasn't often he was nervous when it came to addressing the kingdom, but given that this was at the funeral of his (very young) son, Techno couldn't blame him.

Somehow, even with the presence of thousands of people, the area was dead silent. Phil's footsteps, usually masked by the crows buzzing, was loud in comparison.

The man opened his mouth as if to speak, but nothing came out, only a choked squeak. He quickly shut his mouth and cleared his throat before starting again.

"Today," Phil says, stronger than the Piglin hybrid expected, "we mourn the disappearance of my youngest son." Quiet sniffles echo in the silence. (Internally, Techno rolls his eyes. He doubts that those people really care about Theseus.)

"Theseus is the third of my sons. He… he lit up the life of everyone who knew him-" Phil's voice cracked, and he brought a hand to his mouth. Techno jumped to his side, taking hold of one of his arms.

(Wilbur stands in place, eyes glued to the colorless brick below him.)

Phil recovered his stoney exterior as soon as he lost it, hand swiftly moving back to his side. Techno releases his arm, opting to hold his father's hand instead. Phil returns the gesture, squeezing it softly.

"He may not be here with us in the flesh, but in spirit, he is always with us." Wilbur steps up besides him, and tugs at his other hand. "I will always love him, for as long as I live."

Phil takes in a deep breath. "And, to those who took him away from us, let it be known," Techno takes his brother's hand, noting how the brunet relaxed in his grip. "that I will find you. You will pay for what you have done to my kingdom, my  _ people,  _ and my son."

Techno glanced at his father's face. An expression of resolve replaced the heartbroken one that had dominated his face since that day.

"He will be avenged." Wilbur inhaled sharply from besides him, his hands taking a slight tremble.

"Theseus…"

Phil looked to the sky.

"You are loved."

Phil falls to the ground, wrapping Techno in his arms. Typically, Techno would shy away from the embrace, because physical touch was never his thing. But, it was not a typical day, and Techno accepted the hug.

Wilbur approached them quietly from behind Techno, practically throwing himself into the pair when Phil opened his other arm.

Together, the remains of Theseus Minecraft's family mourned.

Later that night, they release lanterns into the sky. They look like little stars, floating down the wind current, bobbing in an invisible river.

And, for the first time since that dreadful night one month ago, Wilbur cried.

And, this time, he wasn't alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> final word count: 2118
> 
> tbh this chapter was a bit longer than i expected
> 
> also!! im going to try to upload once weekly, on thursdays :)) i also might try to upload on saturdays in addition to that, buuuuuut no promises
> 
> thanks :))


	4. anniversaries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Strange how one person's best day can be another's worst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> word count: 2,697

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..."

Niki stood by Tommy, who was giggling like a madman in his high chair, grinning while singing along to the song. Eret, Schlatt, and Puffy holding Tubbo stood around the table, sharing equally joyful faces. Even Schlatt appeared to be in a good mood, a rarity for him.

"Happy birthday, dear Tommy…"

Puffy dragged out the end of his name, eliciting a delighted shriek from Tommy and a giggle from Tubbo.

"Happy birthday to you!"

The room erupted in cheers, a now two year old Tommy screeching joyfully as if his life depended on it.

It wasn’t his biological birthday, of course. Tommy was far too young to remember a detail like that. Still, his ignorance did not stop the sands of time, and they needed some kind of marker for his age, so they picked the day Niki found him to celebrate. 

The girl stepped away from the scene and disappeared into the kitchen, reappearing a few seconds later with a cake. It was chocolate, covered in bright red frosting, Tommy's favorite color. 

The blonde toddler might as well have been the sun with how much his expression brightened when Niki reappeared in the room with the cake in her arms. Her heart swelled at the sight.

He immediately dug into the slice of cake Niki cut out for him, crumbs flying everywhere and sticking themselves to every surface in the room. Cleanup definitely wouldn’t be fun, Niki supposed, but it would be worth it.

After cake, it was time to open presents. A simple red sweater from Puffy, a rabbit’s foot from Schlatt, a finger painting of Henry and Spinz, Tubbo’s bee stuffie, in what Niki believes to be a swamp from Tubbo, a… pocket knife, for some reason, from the sheep siblings’s travelling father, and a pair of disks from Eret and Niki. The older of the two had found them while sorting the attic awhile ago, and decided  _ hey, why not, _ and wrapped them up for Tommy.

The group hung around until evening before the sheep family went back home. Eret had started preparing a dinner of baked potatoes, Tommy’s absolute favorite (actually, it was all he would eat for the first week he lived with them). and Niki was playing with the toddler in the living room, listening to one of the disks. He was sluggish, more so than usual, fighting to keep his eyes from fluttering shut.

It was probably (read: definitely) because he had been unable to sleep last night, excitedly chattering about the following day. Niki and Eret had hyped him up the week prior, getting him excited for an event that was all about him. The girl was fairly tired herself, having been Tommy’s go-to every time his excitement flared up. It didn’t help that he had spent the entire morning running around the backyard and living room, unable to sit still.

Soon enough, dinner was served. Tommy babbled, mixing actual words with gibberish, forming half coherent sentences that even then weren’t entirely understandable with food in his mouth and sleep slurring his speech. Eret and Niki listened intently, nodding along and occasionally interjecting with a “Wow!” or “Really?” and laughing when he’d pause and look at them expectantly.

After dinner, Niki played with him for a little bit before taking him to their shared room to rest. He had been upgraded from a crib to a small bed fit for a toddler. The sheets and blankets were plain white, being the cheapest set from the tailor’s. Niki was planning on dying them eventually, but for now, they would do.

Tommy, of course, wasn’t keen on going to bed. He was too tired to fight back, so he instead opted to glare at her with every ounce of hatred he had in him (which wasn’t much, considering his age and personality). After changing him into pajamas, she tucked him in and promptly grabbed out a random story book from the pile of them stacked on her desk. The boy’s heated glare wavered when she sat down at the end of the bed and started the story, and eventually faded away as she progressed.

She was only half-way through the book when she heard Tommy snoring softly, eyes closed and expression lack. She closed the book on her lap and whispered his name. After a few moments of non-reaction passed, Niki was satisfied that he was truly asleep. She got up to put the book back into the pile, before stepping back to his bed and kneeling down next to him.   
  


“Goodnight, Tommy,” Niki whispered softly. The boy, predictably, did not respond, but that was alright. Niki lightly patted his forehead and smiled at him for a moment, before moving to her closet to change. She fell asleep pretty much as soon as she hit the bed, slumber washing over her like a wave.

(If she stayed up for just a minute longer, Niki would’ve spotted Eret peaking into the room and smiling fondly before quietly shutting the door.)

* * *

Techno couldn’t believe an entire year had passed since the disappearance of Theseus.

Well, he  _ could,  _ but… he didn’t really  _ want  _ to. After all, who would want to accept the murder of a one year old child, much less their own brother?

A lot had changed in the year following his death. For one, he and Wilbur were no longer allowed to go beyond the walls of the castle, and could only go into the surrounding city with a trusted guard. It was annoying, but Techno understood his father’s fears.

Outwardly, Phil seemed to recover relatively quickly, going back to his normal self only weeks after Theseus’s funeral, but Techno knew better. He could tell that he was still reeling from the loss by the way he watched him or Wilbur for a few moments longer when they separated before turning away, or how his eyes would be red and puffy if Techno happened to catch him late at night on his way back to his room from the library, or how he’d tell them how much he loves them almost every time he saw the boys, something he rarely ever did before the incident-

Or, most obviously, with the restrictions on where he and Wilbur could go in their own damn home.

(Suffice to say, Techno was kind of bitter about that decision. He understands it, sure, but that doesn’t mean he likes it.)

Wilbur, on the other hand, had yet to return to any kind of normal. Not that the piglin hybrid blamed him, of course. Out of the three of them, Wilbur had been closest to Theseus, being the only one who really had the time to be with him. Phil was, well, the king, so obviously, he was a bit busy maintaining the empire to spend much time with either Wilbur or Theseus. Techno was often either training or reading, and even when he did have free time, hec simply didn’t want to spend his time with a baby. They couldn’t read, talk, or even move, much less spar- Techno loved the kid, he really did, but babies were just  _ boring _ .

(Well… that, and voices chant for him to throttle the boy whenever Techno’s around him. But, hey, nobody needed to know that part.)

Wilbur had spent pretty much every waking moment with Theseus when he was born. Techno’s pretty sure that in the (far too short) year following the youngest’s birth, the brunet had spent more time in the nursery than he had in his own room. 

Techno remembers Theseus’s first steps, only a week or two before he was abducted- it was one in the morning when Wilbur had rushed into his room with bags under his eyes and a near manic grin on his face. In his arms was the blonde, sharing the same wild expression as Wilbur.

The piglin hybrid was obviously alarmed, quickly jumping out of bed while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, tiredly asking what was wrong. He watched in sluggish confusion as Wilbur placed the child down onto the floor, then sat a few feet opposite of him and clapped his hands together. The blonde stood up with some struggle, almost falling over but saving himself. He slowly toddled to Wilbur, almost toppling over with every step, but he made it to the older boy without falling over. He collapsed into the brunet’s waiting arms, who’s grin had grown impossibly larger. 

He stood up, Theseus in his arms, and turned to Techno, who had been watching in bewilderment. Wilbur stared at him expectantly, and prodded him with a “Well?” when Techno didn’t respond.

Techno had scoffed, and groaned “Ya’ seriously woke me up for that?” Wilbur had only laughed in response, and pulled him by the sleeve to Phil’s room to repeat the spectacle. It was one of the last memories Techno had of Theseus, one he held close to his heart.

By some sick coincidence, the day the baby had disappeared just so happened to be the same day Wilbur had decided to spar with Techno. The hybrid, of course, was beating his ass when an explosion sounded from somewhere in the castle. After a few moments of everyone standing dead still, everything was set into motion, and the boys were ushered into a secret bunker hidden under the gardener’s shed. There were a few other people in there with them, but Techno couldn’t recall anyone in the blur.

Apparently, someone had been sent out for Theseus, but after hours of waiting… nobody returned.

Techno didn’t like to think about that, though, so he didn’t.

Wilbur was beside himself with grief, immediately blaming Phil (which Techno disagreed with, because the man wasn’t even there until the end of it, and there was no way he could’ve known about the siege in time to do anything about it) before locking himself in his room for almost an entire month. Phil had sent Techno to eat with him in WIlbur’s room during that time, since he didn’t trust anyone else to be with him. Often, the brunet only took a bite of his food before pushing away. He rarely responded to Techno’s small talk, only humming in acknowledgement. It had taken him a couple weeks to actually use words to talk, but even then, his sentences were short and to the point. 

Wilbur’s recovery was slow, the first months being an uphill battle. He still didn’t talk much, and even then, only spoke to Techno. His feelings on Phil were conflicted and confusing, so he chose to simply not think of him at all. He mostly avoided the man, greeting him quietly each evening at supper, before going their separate ways for the next 23 and a half hours. Wilbur spent most of his time in his room, doing… something. Normally, Techno would’ve assumed he was playing his guitar or something, but his room was devoid of the sound. His next guess would’ve been the library, studying old maps and history books, but Wilbur wasn’t there, either, leaving Techno with no idea as to what he was doing.

With time, though, Wilbur got better. Day by day, he came out of his room a little more, talked a little more, ate a little more. He started playing his guitar again, and sometimes, Techno would spot him in the library poring over maps. Getting him to talk to Phil for more than a couple minutes had been a much slower process, but it was working. Recently, he had talked to the winged man for almost an hour about geography and such, a new record for the boy (not that either of them knew that, it was only Techno keeping track).

All that progress seemed to halt, though, in the month leading up the anniversary of Theseus’s disappearance. He retreated back into his room, and ceased to play guitar. Techno went back to delivering his meals and eating with him, and although Wilbur wasn’t entirely unresponsive like he had been the previous year, he still wasn’t quite as open as he had been before.

Which leads Techno to now, the one year anniversary of the day Theseus disappeared. 

Techno had yet to see Wilbur face to face, despite it being eleven at night.

That morning, Phil had gone to tell Wilbur that he and Techno were going to the blonde’s grave, but apparently the brunet didn’t respond. Phil didn’t push him, and just the two of them went. The piglin hybrid had figured that Wilbur was simply mourning by himself, and would go to the cemetery later that day. Wilbur had mumbled something about him not being hungry at breakfast that morning, still lying in his bed and faced away from the door, and then again at lunch, and then again at dinner. Techno told him that he had to eat something, so Wilbur just asked for him to leave it on his bed stand, and that he’d eat it later.

Techno had spent the rest of his day in the greenhouse, reading some random book about an old world general and trying not to cry as he unwillingly reminisced about the past. 

It was late at night when Techno had finally left the greenhouse for bed. On his way back, he figured that he might as well check on Wilbur.

The day wasn’t easy for any of them, but if anyone was having the hardest time, it was Wilbur.

So, he knocked on his brother’s door, and when he received no response, he let himself in. He was greeted with the sight of Wilbur crying on the floor beside his bed, head in his knees. His head snapped up, and he stared at him with puffy and red eyes.

“W-what-” that boy sniffed before continuing. “What are y-you doing here, Technoblade?” 

“Checkin’ on you. Have you had dinner yet?”

The boy put his head back into his knees, and muttered a muffled “no.” Techno wasn’t surprised in the slightest.

“Well, ya’ gotta eat, Wilbur.” The older boy sat down next to Wilbur, an arm’s length away. He sat in silence for a few moments, giving Wilbur time to tell him to move. At the boy’s silence, he continued. “Wilbur, look, I get it-”

“No! You don’t!” Wilbur snapped. He sniffed again, and then repeated himself quietly, “You don’t.”

Once again, the room was silent, the only sound being Wilbur sniffing intermittently.

At least a few minutes had passed before one of them broke the quiet, and it wasn;t who Techno expected.

"His- his, uh, second word, was, ha… my name. He, uh couldn’t pronounce it correctly… he, uh, called me Wilby…” The brunet laughed for a moment, but it died out quickly.

“That was, uh, only a f-few days before… that. It was-was only the day before, and- Phil wasn’t there, so I wanted to w-wait for him to come home so I could show everyone at once…”

He stifled a sob, taking a moment to breath before continuing.

“I never told anyone that until now,”

Wilbur trailed off into silence, so Techno took it as his chance to speak.

“His… uh, his first word was his own name, right?”

Wilbur responded with an “mhm”.

“...Yeah. He called himself “Tees.” I, uh, tried to teach him the full thing, but… y’know. Babies. Don’t really do that,”

Techno chuckled, responding with a “yeah.”

They sat in silence once again, but this time, it was a comfortable one. 

“...I miss him, Techno,” Wilbur admitted. He shifted his head so that he was looking straight ahead at the door. The only light source was filtering through the open door, casting the room in a warm, yellow glow.

The boy responded quietly.

“I know, Wil. I… I do too.”

Wilbur leaned onto Techno’s side, resting his head on the older’s shoulder. Techno leaned into the touch, and shut his eyes.

“Love ya’, Wil,” he said.

“...Love you too, Tech.”

The brothers fell asleep on each other that night, and if Phil put a blanket over them when he found them, he never mentioned it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapters are getting longer without me even meaning to ha
> 
> its 2 am and i have school tomorrow pray for me
> 
> also yeah no saturday updates, sorry yall
> 
> also hey longest chapter so far! pog
> 
> okay thanks for reading


	5. yellow for you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy gets a booboo. Wilbur fucking runs away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> word count: 4,102

“Tommy, Tommy- slow down, please-”

The five year old continued to ignore her, just as he had been doing for the past hour since they arrived at the market, instead ducking and weaving around the dozens of strangers ambling about. Niki was struggling to keep up, squeezing past confused or amused passers-bys.

Tommy seemed to be completely fine, not even breaking a sweat despite having spent the last, oh,  _ hour,  _ running about the marketplace anywhere his little feet could take him. Niki, on the other hand, was a lot worse for wear, face red and sweat rolling down her forehead. Eret was absent, a common occurrence, having to work as they always did. _  
  
_

Niki told them that she could get a job and help support the household, since Tommy would be starting school pretty soon. Eret just barely managed to shove holidays and birthdays into their busy schedule, with practically no room for anything else, so Niki reasoned that they would appreciate the decrease in workload. The brunet had rejected that idea, however, citing that even if Tommy was at school… He’s Tommy. Someone has to be there to take care of him if he gets hurt or something at school. It was a weak argument, but Niki accepted it (not that Eret would’ve let her get a job even if she didn’t). 

_  
_ She wasn’t upset, though, not at all. Niki didn’t mind spending most of her time with Tommy; there was always something new with him, always something he wanted to do. On the rare occasions where she did need a break, though, she could always rely on Tubbo to distract him by running around in the yard for a few hours. Still, she can't help but miss Eret. They were the one who raised her, her biggest inspiration. She wants to be, no,  _ needs  _ to be everything Eret was for her, for Tommy. 

It’s not easy, though (not that she expected it to be). While Niki was very reserved as a child, almost unusually so, Tommy is the complete opposite. He’s constantly either moving, or talking, or both, and the only exceptions are when he’s sleeping. Even when he eats, he tries to talk, resulting in milk and bits of chewed up cereal spewing everywhere.

Niki struggles to tame him without making some kind of compromise- like, for example, he’ll refuse to put his laundry away unless she promises to read him a bedtime story. It wasn’t always a reliable method, though, because Tommy, in his own words, “Don’t fear no Niki!” A good example of his uncooperative behavior was right that very moment, actually. Before they had left, Niki had told him not to run off if he wanted to play with Tubbo later. Apparently, he was fine if those plans fell through, given his current actions. 

Still, Niki had to get him to listen somehow. They had been here for almost two hours, now, and had only checked off two of the five stores they had to visit. They were heading (or rather, trying to head there) for the shoe store to get him some dress shoes, since the school had a uniform policy, for whatever reason- Neither Niki nor Eret would know, since the school had only been built two years ago, and the two were far too busy to enroll, even if they wanted to. Before then, everyone had been either homeschooled, or sent to a fancy boarding school in a bigger city. Most people in the village couldn’t afford such a luxury, though, so the majority learnt at home.

Her current plan to convince the blonde to listen was to threaten to take away his desert of a homemade chocolate-chip cookie- baked by Niki, of course- if he didn’t slow down and go to the shoe store already. However, she hadn’t even opened her mouth, when the boy suddenly screeched to a halt. Niki had hardly any time to register the sudden stop, stumbling over her feet and nearly bumping the boy over. 

Just as she stopped, though, Tommy started again. He laughed, racing ahead, torso twisted around to face her. He stuck his tongue out at her, continuing to run full speed ahead- ahead being a brick wall, one that the boy had not apparently missed.

Niki cried for him to watch out, but it was too late, exhaustion momentarily forgotten as she ran towards him, but it was fruitless.

Tommy turned his head forward again, just in time to smack face-first into the wall _. _ He bounced off of it, landing on the dirt ground with a dull  _ thump.  _ The blonde, lying on the ground, immediately sat up, a hand flying to his forehead, before yelling, "Fuck!"

Niki skidded to a halt besides him, shock written all over her face. The boy looked up at her, his expression a mix of pain and disorientation. Although his hand was covering the injury, Niki could see a bit of crimson ooze from under his hand.

The 14 year old sighed, crouching down next to him and picking him up. Tommy, quite unusually, didn’t say anything. She walked home with him in her arms- the scrape wasn’t quite bad enough for a trip to the clinic, but it was still bad enough to warrant pushing off the shopping trip for a different day. They had the necessary supplies at home, no need for anymore pit stops.

Niki had gotten straight to work when they got home, setting Tommy down on the couch with a “don’t move” and gathering the medical supplies. She ran the tap over a rag to clean the injury with, stepping back to the waiting boy. She was carefully washing the wound when she decided to ask about his little, ah,  _ slip, _ after he hit the wall.

“So, Tommy… where did you learn that word?” she asked, still

“...What word? I know a lot of words, you’re going to have to be more… speh-fific, uh, than that.”

“Specific,” she corrected, “And you know exactly what I’m talking about, Tommy.”

“Uh… sorry?” He said, a nervous smile growing on his face.

Niki suppressed the urge to laugh at his antics. This was serious, five year olds shouldn’t even know that word- where he learnt it, the girl isn’t even sure, as neither she nor Eret swear often, much less around Tommy. 

She placed the rag down on the coffee table, finished cleaning the wound. Instead of taking the bandage, though, she put her hands on her hips and stared at him.

He wilted a little under her gaze, smile fading from his face. A question was being silently asked, and Tommy knew that he couldn’t avoid it for much longer.

“...I, uh, heard it… from Schlatt.” He started, sounding unsure. Niki nodded for him to continue.

“He said it when he hit his foot on their couch when I was there the other day, and he, uh, told me not to tell you or Puffy because he’d get in trouble…”

Niki sighed. Of course it was Schlatt. Despite being fifteen, he has the mouth of a sailor, and the girl isn’t entirely sure why. Then again, the ram hybrid seems to be an outlier in their little makeshift family, always pessimistic and generally negative. Not that they don’t care for him, of course- Niki loves him like a brother. Still, he’s nothing like his father, or Puffy, or Tubbo, or Eret, or herself, or anyone she knows, really.

“And I thought, since he said it, I can too, right? He told me not to tell you, not that I can’t say it,” Tommy continued, fiddling with the hem of his shirt.

Niki nodded, stoic expression fading into a reassuring smile. Tommy relaxed at her shift in mood, usually grin returning to his face.

“It’s alright, Tommy. Just don’t say it again, please. It’s a very rude word, and you can really hurt people’s feelings with it,” she said, ruffling his hair.

Tommy nodded ferociously in response.

“Also… sorry for running around earlier. I was being mean to you.”

Niki’s face brightened. “Oh, thank you, Tommy!”

The two sat in silence for a few seconds, the older having forgotten what they were doing before Tommy spoke up.

“...Can you fix my head? It still hurts,”

Niki blinked, grabbing the bandage and bringing it to the boy’s forehead.

“Sorry, sorry, forgot for a second- and, there we go!”

Upon her sticking the band aid to the scrape, the boy bounced off the couch, starting towards the kitchen.

“I’m hungry. Can we make cookies now?”   
  
Niki laughed, following him to the kitchen to get out the baking supplies.

Her little chat with Schlatt could wait. For now, she would enjoy her time with her little brother.

* * *

It’s four in the morning when Wilbur leaves home.

Only ten hours before then is the last time he sees his father or brother, and just like the first time he lost someone, there are no goodbyes.

He had left dinner early that night, taking his uneaten dinner with him. He cited a raging stomach ache as the reason, that he was going to sleep it off, and that he was taking his dinner with him to eat later. Phil had told him that he could leave his meal in the kitchen, that he can reheat it later, but Wilbur rejected the suggestion.

He argued that he’d rather it be on his bed stand, since that’s more convenient, especially if he’s in pain. Perhaps he was a little too insistent on taking his meal with him, considering Phil’s unconvinced, concerned expression and Techno’s suspicious stare, but neither of them protested when Wilbur left the room with his untouched plate of pork and carrots.

He wasn’t entirely lying, though- he had gone to sleep early, just not before packing his dinner away into the bag hidden under his bed. He slept off and on for the following seven hours, waking up in a cold sweat what felt like seconds after he finally drifted off to sleep again.

Finally, though, the grandfather clock down the hall rang out into the night signalling the change in hour- signalling that it was time for Wilbur to leave.

Silently, he stepped out of bed, with far more awareness than someone who just woke up should have, and got dressed. It was a simple, condescript outfit, one that wouldn’t give away his royal status. The outfit consisted of his lucky yellow sweater gifted by Techno for his 13th birthday, a pair of dark work pants he nabbed from the castle’s storage, and a slightly oversized trench coat that was probably meant for Phil, considering the two slits on the back that he’d probably have to patch up eventually.

From under his bed, he pulled out a bag with everything he would need for his journey- a first aid kit, extra socks and underwear, a blanket, a photo of his family, some empty glass bottles for water (because while water was abundant in the Empire, who knew where he’d end up), a lantern, his now-cold dinner, and some money.

Quietly, slowly, he opens his bedroom door, exiting the room and quietly shutting the door behind him once he saw that the coast was clear. He took his time navigating the castle, sneaking through unused corridors and empty rooms to avoid the night guards and anyone else who may be out and about.

He considered stopping by Techno’s room to say goodbye, but decided against it. Techno would understand, of course, but that doesn’t mean he would approve. The piglin hybrid had become more protective after the incident (although, it seemed like he hadn’t noticed, or maybe he had always been like that and Wilbur simply hadn’t realized). Wilbur wouldn’t make it ten feet away before Techno would catch up and drag him to Phil, the older boy being a fighting prodigy, for whatever reason.

(He had tried to ask about it once, when he was eight or so, what must’ve been only a few months after Techno was adopted into the family, but the older boy had simply ignored him. As Wilbur got older, he learned bits and pieces of Techno’s story- Phil found him abandoned in the uninhabited, wild part of the Nether, that Techno had to fight to survive, that he heard voices that nobody else could- but that’s all.)

So he continued forward. Or down, more accurately, as he descended the floors of the castle, one by one. Eventually, he made it to a long, winding staircase hidden behind a false wall that led to the basement, a space that had once been a dungeon but was since renovated to be a storage area. The metal bars had been removed, leaving empty spaces behind, perfect for organization.

Wilbur pulled out his lantern and lit it halfway through his descent down the stairs, as the already very dim light emanating from outside the stairwell door had finally run out, leaving him in a pitch black darkness that was certainly unsafe to be walking down a set of stairs in. He wasn’t worried (much) about anyone spotting him in the stairwell or basement- for one, he was in a secret entrance, one that only a few people knew about. The exit was also hidden- from the outside, it was meant to look like a wall, just like the one upstairs.

The basement was already fairly empty most of the time, welcoming only a few visitors during the day, much less at night. Even if there was someone down there, they likely wouldn’t run into Wilbur. The main entrance open to every inhabitant of the castle was far from the entrance the brunet was using, not to mention the vast, winding halls still standing from the time the place was a dungeon.

The basement was just as dark as the stairwell had been. There were no windows down there, lanterns hadn’t been hung since they were too expensive to be used in a place so deserted, and torches were simply a fire hazard. Wilbur pushed the wall closed behind him with a grunt, dust flying everywhere. The fifteen year old stifled a sneeze and rubbed his eyes, quickly walking away, towards his next destination.

Wilbur had spent a lot of his time in the basement, as a small child, when Techno had first moved in. Before then, it was just Wilbur and Phil. His mother hadn't been present for a long time. 

Techno was volatile, snapping at anyone who got close like a wild animal. A week after he moved in, Wilbur had tried to talk to him, only to get attacked when he tapped on the older boy’s shoulder. Phil had been nearby, thankfully, and managed to pull the boy off of him, but the damage had been done. Wilbur started spending his time away from everyone else, down in the basement, with a guard or servant or sometimes Phil himself coming down to check on him.

He wasn’t always by himself. Sometimes, his friends, usually the children of those who worked in the castle, would accompany him- Charlie, George, Jack, and Rihanna, to name a few- and they would joke around and read old scripts together. When Wilbur was by himself, he would usually screw around with the old instruments kept down there. That’s how he found his passion for the guitar.

While Wilbur’s friends had eventually moved out of the castle or drifted apart, his love for playing the guitar did not. Even after his relationship with Techno had improved considerably, to the point he wasn’t afraid of being randomly attacked anymore, Wilbur still found himself playing the instrument often, writing songs and singing along. He had stopped playing it for a few months, after Theseus’s death, but picked up right where he left off, when he found the motivation to play again.

Speaking of the guitar-

Wilbut forgot it.

Dread washed over him, knees weakening as the realization dawned on him. Weeks and weeks of planning, and he forgot one of his most important belongings.

For a few seconds, he considered going back to retrieve it, but ultimately chose not to. Navigating the castle took what felt like forever, with a handful of close calls- he couldn’t risk being caught, because what could he say? That he was just walking around with a bag full of supplies in the middle of the night? He would get sent back to his room immediately, and Phil would surely freak the fuck out and probably lock him in his room forever. (Dramatic, of course, but what did you expect from a teenage boy with an overprotective father?)

Then, he remembered- wasn’t there the guitar he first started down there?

Wilbur broke into a trot, making his way through the halls to where the instruments were stored. The route was burned into his memory from years of going down it, so he made it there quickly, and lo and behold- there it was. The case rested against a piano with a cloth draped over it, dusty and forgotten but  _ there. _

Nostalgia washed over him, and a relieved smile crossed his face. Wilbur sat down next to it, resting the case on the floor. He opened it, checking the instrument inside, and to his relief, it was totally fine. Out of tune, yes, but he could fix that. Satisfied, Wilbur clicked the case shut and slung it over his shoulder.

The brunet speed walked through the corridors, making up for lost time. He had to leave as soon as possible, before someone noticed he was gone. His detour for the guitar hadn’t been too out of the way, though, and he finally arrived at his way out.

Wilbur grunted as he pushed the crate blocking the secret hole to the side. It was something he had found while he was playing hide and seek with George and Charlie- the game had been interrupted by the latter of the two, yelling about some secret tunnel. The three of them pushed the crate to reveal the rest of the hole, then walked through it- at the time, they were short enough to fit through it without leaning over- only to find open wilderness at the other end.

Wilbur doesn’t know how it got there, or why it was never patched up, or if anyone else even knows it’s there, since he never told anyone (hey, he was ten, they aren’t the brightest) but he wasn’t going to complain about it now.

The tunnel was a lot smaller than he remembered it being- granted, he was a good bit taller than he was when he was kid, so it was to be expected. He crouched down, moving ridiculously slowly through the burrow. Even crouching, though, he still bumped his head on the top of the tunnel far too many times to not leave a bruise, especially since the ceiling, along with the walls, were made with cobblestone.

Wilbur’s shoes and knees were probably dirty now- the ground was plain earth. It wasn’t muddy dirt, thankfully, but frozen dirt. Not very messy, but not very nice to fall on.

Finally, moonlight came into view, growing brighter with every step, until he finally reached the end of the tunnel. It opened up into a small clearing shielded by spruce trees, untouched by any human in what must’ve been years, possibly since Wilbur and his friends saw it.

He stepped out of the tunnel, standing up and stretching to his full height. He sucked in a breath of fresh air, a nice change from the stuffy and stale air of the basement and tunnel. His break was short, though, and he continued forward.

Scaling the mountain took shorter than Wilbur thought it would, and stepped onto the stone pathways that guided citizens around the city. He had trouble containing his excitement now; his pace quickened, and an involuntary smile took the place of his neutral, focused expression. He was so close now, the final stretch; all he had to do was get to the Nether hub and  _ leave. _

He felt his heart jump every time he saw another person. Which wasn’t a lot, but still- Wilbur looked strange, a lone teenager walking through the city at what must’ve been three in the morning, by now. If he came across a guard, they might force him to go to a station under suspicions of being a runaway, even without knowing he was the fucking  _ prince _ .

But nobody questioned him, nobody pulled him aside, and nothing happened except for some unconcerned glances in his direction from other strangers going about their night- and he made it to the Nether hub.

The building was in the center of the city, grand and tall. The boy couldn’t help but stand there and admire it- quartz was an abundant, yet dangerous to obtain mineral found in the Nether. Wilbur had seen it many times before- the most prominent example was the throne room, the floor being made of it, with beautiful, intricate designs carved into it only to be walked over (Wilbur thought it was a shame, but kept his mouth shut)- but still couldn’t help but marvel at the sight of a building made entirely of quartz and other Nether-originated materials.

He shook himself out of his wonder, starting forward again, off to start a new life in some far off country-

“Ticket, please.”

Wilbur flinched, head swiveling to the source of the voice. A man stood behind a counter a few feet away that Wilbur had somehow missed, bags under his eyes and an annoyed expression on his face. Not a guard, thankfully.

“O-oh, I need to pay?”   
  
The man rolled his eyes. “Yes, you need to pay. When has it ever been free?”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Wilbur replied, pulling out his bag of emeralds from his bag. “Remind me, how much is it?”

“Twenty emeralds.”   
  
Wilbur blanched at the price, but obliged without any complaint, counting the emeralds out and placing them on the counter for the man to review.

The man counted them again, eying Wilbur suspiciously before storing them away in a chest under the counter. The man retrieved a ticket from another chest, but didn’t hand it to the boy. Instead, he started questioning him, much to Wilbur’s dismay.

“...What’s your name, kid?”   
  
He gulped. “Wilbur, sir.”

The worker raised an eyebrow. “Last name?”

The boy went to respond, only getting the first “Mi-” before stopping himself.

Wilbur couldn’t respond with his real name, could he? What else could he say, though, he hadn’t prepared this much, he’s so stupid-

Then he got an idea.

“-Soot, Wilbur Soot.” he responded, regaining his composure, “My mother remarried a little bit ago, and we changed our names to match her husband’s, I’m still getting used to it.”   
  
A total lie, but the worker wouldn’t know that. Hopefully.

The man hummed, glaring at him for a moment, before starting again.

“And your mother, where is she? Why is a kid like you traveling through the Nether by yourself?”

“My mother is expecting, sir, and she wants me to tell my aunt down South about it.”   
  
“Why doesn’t she send a letter? Surely it’s safer like that.”   
  
“She’s very close with her sister, she wants her to be told in person.”   
  
The man stopped talking, and glared at him, as if annoyed that he had an answer for every question.

_ I swear,  _ Wilbur thought,  _ if this man doesn’t stop asking questions soon- _

The man placed the ticket down on the counter, with a huff. “Here’s your ticket, kid. Obey the signs, don’t break through the walls, don’t leave your cart, you know the rules.”   
  
Wilbur snatched it up, briskly walking away and shouting a “Thank you!” behind him. Finally,  _ finally _ , he could leave, start all over again-

The swirling purple portal in front of him would’ve been unsettling before, but now, it felt… strangely comforting. 

For a second, he considered turning around, going back to the castle, and Techno, and ~~his father~~ Phil… but he didn’t. He turned around, gazing through the open entrance of the building at the place he was raised. The first light of sun had started to stretch over the horizon behind it, lighting up the sky in a dark grayish-blue. 

He tore his gaze away from it, though, turning back to face the portal. A premature sense of loss tugged at the edges of his heart, but he ignored it in favor of his brimming excitement and newfound freedom.

Inhaling a deep breath, he stepped into the portal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> new longest chapter pog
> 
> but seriously this was way longer than i intended it to be oh my god
> 
> um anyways im not familiar with smp earth sooooo probably inaccurate portrayal of iit's landscape, just work with me here
> 
> ALSO I PASSED MY WRITTEN DRIVER'S EXAM YAYY
> 
> i failed it the first time by getting eleven questions wrong, but this time i only got three questions wrong so i passed :))
> 
> also why wilbur left is talked about more in detail next chapter, i didnt forget lol
> 
> also did ya like my soothouse cameo? lol
> 
> they aren't going to appearing in anything beyond mentions, so i wont be tagging them (unless that changes, of course)
> 
> ok goodnight


	6. the meaning of home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family can be anyone you want it to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> word count: 4,747  
> important notes at the end  
> CW: panic attack

"H-hello? I-i-is this the r-residence of Er-Eret and-d Niki Manifold?"

The girl in question blinked. Before her stood a boy who couldn't have been older than herself, shivering and shaking, his only protection against the snow falling being a plain pair of tan cargo pants, some old work boots, and a black and blue striped sweater. Dark bags hung under his eyes, and his lips were nearly blue.

It was five in the morning when Niki had awoken to the sounds of a faint thumping, only to realize a few minutes later that it was the sound of someone knocking on the front door. Who would be knocking so early in the morning in the middle of a snow storm, though, was beyond her.

She had expected some random creep when she checked the peephole, because who else would knock at someone's door so early in the morning, but was instead greeted by the sight of a trembling, possibly frostbitten child standing in front of the door. She, of course, opened the door (because would you shut the door on a freezing kid?) and was now standing in the doorway as he shivered in his thin clothing and enviously eyed the cozy blanket wrapped around her.

She responded a second later. "Uh. Yes, but… who are you?"

"J-Jack. Manifold. Your… c-cousin?"

Niki's eyebrows furrowed. "...Cousin? Are you sure?"

A gust of wind blew by the house, causing the walls to creak and the boy to sway.

"I- I haven't met any of my relatives, so… I just don't know, y'know..."

He nodded shakily in response, reaching into his pocket and fumbling with something inside, before pulling out what looked like a piece of paper, folded into halves. He unfolded it, and held it up for her to take with a shaky hand, revealing it to be a photo.

Niki’s eyes widened. In it was a grinning man with an arm slung over a woman holding a small baby next to him, a child no older than five standing at the pair’s feet with their arms stretched out above them, sharing their father’s smile. It was a familiar sight, as an identical photo rested on the fireplace mantle not fifteen feet away from where the two stood.

“What’s going on, Niki?”

Niki jumped at the voice, whipping around to find Eret standing in their nightclothes at the top at the staircase. They wasted no time, thundering down the stairs and stepping protectively in front of the girl.

“Who are you?”

Niki answered from behind them. “Jack Manifold. Our cousin. He has a family picture.”

Eret raised an eyebrow. “Jack, you say? Can I see that picture?”

The boy extended his arm towards Eret, arm dropping back to his side once the oldest of them took it. Eret only took a few moments to examine it, before nodding at Niki and walking away in the direction of the living room. She nodded back, stepping aside and gesturing to the hallway.

“Come in. I’ll get you some blankets.”

Jack moved faster than Niki had seen him move before, practically launching himself into the house, although with his sluggish demeanor it looked more like a trudge. Niki gave him a short list of directions (“Wait in the living room for me to come back with some blankets, the bathroom is at the end of this hall if you need it, and I’ll make you some food in a bit, okay?”) before heading up the stairs.

She went to the hallway closet, digging through the contents to find the extra blankets. It took her a bit longer than she thought it would, and there were less blankets than she thought there would be, but it would do. She went to go back downstairs, but paused when she felt a tug at the hem of her shirt.

“What’s going on, Niki?” a small, childish voice whispered. Tommy. “Who’s downstairs?”

Niki smiled at him, and ruffled his hair gently. “Just a visitor,” she whispered, “don’t worry about it, I promise everything will be fine.”

Tommy’s face scrunched up. “Do we know ‘em?” Niki’s smile faltered. “Well… no, but, well, kind of? It’s complicated, Tommy, don’t worry about it.”

“Niki! Stranger danger!” He shook his head disapprovingly. “You should know this by now!”

The girl chuckled. “Yes, I know, but… you see the storm out there? We can’t just leave someone out there,”

“Why not?” the seven year old challenged. Niki sighed; how had Tommy turned out so confrontational?

“Tommy… Please don’t tell me you don’t understand why that’s bad,” she said, smile fading away.

The boy dramatically rolls his eyes. “I know why, I’m not dumb. I was just kidding-”

“And I know that, but this is very serious,” she says, cutting him off. “Please, Tommy, just go back to bed. I promise I’ll tell you what’s happening in the morning, but for now, you need to stay in our room, okay?”

Tommy went silent and a half annoyed, half contemplative expression crossed his face. After a moment spent deep in thought, he looked back up at her. “...Okay. But, if they hurt you or Eret, me and Tubbo and Henry will go beat them up.”

A small smile crossed her face once more. “Okay-”

“And! You’ll make cookies tomorrow!”

“Alright, Tommy-”

“And, and, and, you’ll let me stay over at Tubbo’s-”   
  
“Okay, okay, Tommy, I will. Now please go to bed, before I drag you there myself,”

He nods solemnly, turning around and heading back to their room (Niki was thinking about clearing out the attic so he could have his own space, but with the new arrival sitting in their living room, those plans would have to wait). Niki spends a few moments longer watching him saunter into the room and shut the door behind him before turning and continuing the task at hand.

Upon returning to the living room, 

Niki found the boy lying on the floor by the fireplace, eyes shut and quietly snoring. He still shivered, even with the fire radiating heat right next to him. Niki detoured to the couch, grabbing a random pillow off of it, before stepping back to the boy and kneeling next to him. 

She frowned upon examining the boy. His lips were blue, and his skin was an unnatural shade of white. It didn’t help that his clothes were soaking, now, a puddle forming beneath him as the heat melted the frost coating his body. Niki could spot a giant bruise on his cheek, only faintly visible because of the combination of his nearly colorless skin- a result of the raging snowstorm he was journeying in, no doubt- and the dim lighting, as the only light source was the fire.

Niki sighed, draping a thick blanket over the boy and gently lifting his head and slipping the pillow under it. Jack stirred, mumbling incoherently, weakly attempting to twist around. 

“Hey, it’s Niki,” she whispered, “I think you’re sick. Don’t move too much, I’ll get you a change of clothes and some food soon, just go to sleep for now.”

He mumbled something unintelligible, but relaxed, falling back asleep almost immediately. Niki placed a hand on his forehead, cringing at the unnatural cold under her palm. She wasn’t sure what she could do- ideally, she would take him to the clinic, but that was on the other side, which would’ve been fine if it weren’t for the blizzard raging outside.

If her hunch was right, he was hypothermic, which was beyond her range of knowledge- she knew how to treat fevers and flus and a range of other common ailments. The most obvious course of action was to help raise his body temperature, so that’s what she did. If she was wrong, then hopefully they would have enough time to get him to the clinic. They were going to take him there, regardless of whether he improved or not, but it would be nice to not have to carry him through the village at top speed to the clinic.

Niki flopped down on the couch a few feet away, adrenaline finally running out, giving way to exhaustion. She breathed in deeply and shut her eyes. It was- how early in the morning? Niki didn’t have the energy to get up and check the clock hung in the hallway. The girl allowed herself to doze off, since she was supposed to be asleep anyway. The boy was only a few feet away from her, if he needed something, then she was easy to reach.

As she drifted off, she vaguely wondered where Eret was. She had thought they had entered the living room just before Jack had. She wasn’t concerned much, though- they were probably in the basement, or in the kitchen, or something. Wherever they were, Eret was probably fine.

Her thoughts shifted into dreams, blipping in and out of consciousness arbitrarily. Vaguely, she remembers seeing Eret pass by her a few times, carrying boxes and random pieces of furniture in and out of the basement. The snow whirling outside the window calmed as dawn quietly approached the village. Eventually, the walls stopped periodically rattling, and the howling of wind gradually dwindled until it ceased altogether.

It was when she felt a small finger poking her face did she truly wake up. Groaning, she cracked her eyes open, blearily rubbing her eyes. She glanced around her, searching for the source, before her gaze landed on none other than Tommy (because who else would it be?) sitting besides her on the couch, still dressed in his pajamas.

“Ah, good morning, Tommy…” she yawns, stretching her arms out.

“It’s tomorrow.” He says. “Who is he?” Tommy gestures to the still-sleeping boy (or, at least, she hopes he’s sleeping) on the floor.

She took in a deep breath before answering him. “Tommy, can this please wait for after breakfast-”

“You said tomorrow, and it’s tomorrow,” he says, “and he’s sleeping in my house,” ( _ Eret’s, technically, _ she thinks), “so I deserve to know who he is. So, who is he?”

Niki groans, dragging a hand over her face, because seriously,  _ how has this boy turned out so argumentative?  _ Still, she responds.

“His name is Jack. He’s our cousin.” She doesn’t bother trying to protest, because when Tommy starts, he doesn’t stop, a trait that is equally admirable as it is annoying as all Hell. (A trait that is perhaps her fault, given her rather passive nature and unwavering love for her little brother. She tries her best to be assertive, but alas, her guilt at the possibility of genuinely hurting Tommy’s feelings always wins out.)

“I don’t know how long he’s going to be here for, so you might have to get used to him,” she says, rubbing the last remnants of sleep out of her eyes and moving into a sitting position. Tommy grumbled, making a face and crossing his arms. Niki chose to ignore his annoyance, instead standing up and starting towards the kitchen.

“I’m going to make breakfast, Tommy,” she says, “Why don’t you go get dressed for the day while you wait?” 

He nods, sliding off the couch and exiting the room. Niki watches him leave, before shifting her attention to the unconscious brunet on the floor.

She crouches down next to him. He seemed to have regained some color, his lips no longer blue, but not exactly a healthy shade, either. The bruise was now a little more prevalent, presenting itself as an ugly purple splotch on his face.

Checking his temperature with her hand, he seemed to have heated up, thankfully. His clothes were still soaked, she noted. They would probably have to get him some of Eret’s clothes as a replacement- the older looked to be a bit bigger than Jack, but for now, it would do. 

While she had no doubts that he was still exhausted- hiking through a snowstorm for whoever knows how long would probably do that to you- he still needs to eat. Lightly, Niki shook his shoulder, whispering his name.

The boy stirred, blinking rapidly and groaning. He weakly swatted her hand away, mumbling something along the lines of “no” and “stop” and rolling over.

Suddenly, though, he flinched, shooting up into a sitting position and scooting away from her. Niki had flinched back at the sudden movement, letting out a surprised “oh!”

“H-huh? Where am I, w-where is this…” His voice was hoarse and breathy, and his eyes scanned the room at a speed far too quickly to be of any actual help.

“Jack,” Niki said, crawling a few steps towards him on her knees, “It’s me, Niki-”

“Wha- stay! Over there! Please!” The boy cried, scooting himself farther back, hitting the wall, and promptly curling into a shaking ball.

Niki stopped, allowing the boy a moment to breath. Eret rushed into the room, soon after, still rubbing sleep out of their eyes. They started to speak, but silenced when Niki brought a finger to her lips. She motioned for them to step out into the hallway, following behind them.

“...So, what happened?” Eret said in a hushed tone.

“I don’t think he remembers where he is,” she says, “which is a symptom of hypothermia. I think.”

Eret hums. “We’ll just give him a moment,” they say, “he might be having a panic attack, or something. We still don’t know why he’s here.”

“...Speaking of that, what were you doing last night? Carrying boxes and such around, I mean. You just kinda disappeared,”

“I was thinking that if Jack were to stay here permanently, he’d probably need somewhere to sleep, so I cleared out the attic for him.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

“Then the attic’s clear for Tommy to move into.”

Niki nods, before turning back to the living room entrance.

“Do you think we should go back in now?” Niki asks.

“...Yeah, I think we’re good,” they say.

Niki enters the room slowly, making her presence known by knocking on the wall. Jack was leaning against the couch, now, wrapped in the blanket Niki had given him only a few hours before. He had already been watching the entrance, speaking before the girl had a chance to.

“Hi. Uh, I remember you now, Niki.” he says, avoiding her gaze. “Sorry, got, uh, kinda freaked out… ha, uh, y’know…”

“It’s alright, Jack. I understand.” she says. “I’m making breakfast now, and I’m sure Eret can find you a change of clothes somewhere, since yours are soaking.”

Jack nods, visibly relaxing. Niki makes her way to the kitchen, hearing Eret tell Jack to stay where he was so the former could find some clothes. She listens absentmindedly to the mornings commotion as she prepares a breakfast of plain oatmeal for the group, laughing quietly to herself as Tommy questions Jack from the living room.

(“Who’re you?!” The blond asks. “Who am I?!” Jack repeats, “Who are you? I didn’t know there was a third one of you!”)

When the meal is finished, Niki brings it to the dining table, and drags out a fourth chair that had been pushed against the wall for Jack to sit in. Eret helps the boy to the table, while Tommy simply throws himself into his usual seat and scoops a plentiful amount of the goop into his bowl. The four of them eat in silence, save for the occasional scrape of spoon against wood, as usual.

Unusually, though, Eret is the one to break the silence.

"So. Jack," Eret starts, "what brings you here? If you don’t mind me asking, that is,”

Jack shakes his head, swallowing his oatmeal before replying. “Uh, there was a fire, back home,” he says, “and I lost… well, everything, really.”

He scarfs down another spoonful of oatmeal before continuing. “My parents aren’t really… reliable, to say the least, and Gram- she practically raised me- passed away years ago, and I didn’t really like anyone in that village, so I just- left, I guess.”

A dark smile crosses his face. “Guessing by the lack of aunt or uncle here- I’m assuming they left too?”

Eret nods solemnly.

“Hah, I guess shitty parents run in the family,” he says. The older three laugh humorlessly.

An awkward silence passes before he continues. “Anyways, uh, I really only had the clothes I was wearing, and some random stuff I managed to salvage, so I came here as a last resort… but then, uh… I got mugged.”

Eret and Niki cringed, while Tommy gasped dramatically.

“They took pretty much everything except for my clothes, obviously, and some useless sentimental stuff, like pictures,” he says, gesturing towards the mantle, “and left me there.”

“Is that why you were so underdressed?” Eret asks. Jack nods, swallowing another bit of oatmeal. “Yeah, they stole my jacket. Took it right off my back.”

“...Well, also, I, uh… didn’t think it’d be so cold here, either,” He admits. “Miscalculation on my part.”

Eret huffs, and a smile crosses their face. “Well, at least you know now,”

A few moments pass in silence before someone breaks it once again.

“So,” Tommy starts, “Is he going to live here now?”

Jack looks up from his bowl at Tommy, and then switches back and forth between Eret and Niki, silently asking them a similar question. The siblings share a look, before nodding. 

“Jack, would you like to live with us?” Niki asks. “And before you ask, yes, we do have space for you, up in the attic. You’d probably have to get a job, too, but Eret will probably be able to help you with that-”

“Yes.” Jack says. “I don’t care what the conditions are, I… thank you.”

Eret and Niki smile in unison, while Tommy sputtered and glared at the two, betrayal evident on his face. Eret ignored the boy’s protest with a wheeze. “Well, we’ll get you moved in as soon as possible- first, though, we need to get you to the clinic.” 

And so, a family gains another member.

* * *

When Wilbur left the empire, he hated the snow. It was a constant reminder of the home he left behind, and not to mention, boring as hell. He left to explore new regions and biomes, not hang around in the same old environment he had spent his entire childhood in. 

Two years had passed since then, though, and his views had changed. While he loved exploring lands he had only seen in paintings before and finding new people and fresh scenery and anything else that could sate his adventurer’s heart- he still found himself missing home sometimes.

The snow reminded him of how he felt trapped in the castle he grew up in, of his suppressed guilt for abandoning his already broken family, of Theseus- but it also reminded him of hot cocoa and hugs, of his father’s warm smile and dark yet comforting wings, of his brother’s dry quips and strange mannerisms. The sound of his baby brother’s laugh echoes all around him, causing his heart to weigh like a feather and an anvil at the same time.

The snow fell quietly around him, drifting peacefully by him before joining the growing layer below. It was a serenity and familiarity he rarely had time to feel, much less bask in, with so much of his time spent exploring far off kingdoms and rushing dungeons or caves with his friends. 

“-Will!”

Wilbur sighed.  _ Speak of the devil, and he shall come.  _

Schlatt, one of Wilbur’s friends (?), strode down the slope ahead of the brunet, a boy who looked only slightly younger than himself with yellow wings following closely behind him.

“Wilbur, my man, Will-”

“What do you want, Schlatt?” Wilbur says, cutting him off. “I swear to God, if you’re about to ask for some of my emeralds, I will punt kick you to the moon-”

Schlatt waved his hand dismissively and scoffed. “What? No, Wilbur, I would never do that to you-” “You’ve borrowed my money  _ twice _ and you still haven’t repaid me-” “-and besides! That’s not what I want.”

Wilbur pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Okay, then, what do you want?”

Schlatt brushed past him, motioning for Wilbur to follow him. The brunet groaned, but complied, turning and catching up to the quickly moving pair.

“Walk with me, Wilbur. I’ve got something to show you.”

“I swear- if this is a plot to murder me or something-”

Schlatt raised his hands defensively. “It’s not! Geez, you’re so on edge today. Lighten up, we’re just- showing you something.,”

The brunet scoffed. “Like that’s not suspicious as hell,” he says. “-and, before I forget-” Wilbur jutted a thumb behind him towards the winged boy still following them- “who’s he?” 

“Oh, he’s Quackity.” The boy gave a small wave and a nod at the mention of his name. “Don’t worry about him, he’s harmless. He’s quiet because he doesn’t speak much Common, yet. Honestly, I have no idea how he ended up here, since he’s from somewhere super far away, but whatever.”

Schlatt paused, then abruptly turned left, abandoning the path in favor of hiking through the woods. Wilbur grumbled, but followed. It wasn’t like he had anywhere to be at the moment, considering he was currently jobless. Once they found the forest path, Schlatt continued.   
  
“I let him follow me around, since he came here by himself, and I’m apparently one of the only people around here that speaks the same language as him-”   
  
“Wait, what? You’re bilingual?” Wilbur gawked, mouth agape and eyebrows raised in shock. “Wha- that’s so cool, man!” While people speaking several languages wasn’t unheard of, it was certainly uncommon. Most people spoke exclusively Common, and people who couldn’t speak it tended to stick together, away from everyone else.

Linguistics and culture and geography was already something Wilbur loved. Having access to all the maps and books he could possibly want was one of things he missed most about living in the castle.   
  
“Yeah! I already knew the basics of it from some random books I read as a kid, but after meeting the kid, I decided to learn it a little more to make things easier for him.”    
  
“Huh,” Wilbur says, “that’s- well, that’s uncharacteristically nice of you, Schlatt,”

The man nods in response, before stopping and throwing his arms out. “Welcome to my hideout, Wilbur!”

The brunet’s head swiveled around, looking for the supposed hideout he had been led to… only to realize he had been looking in the wrong place. He whirled around when he heard the sound of beating wings, accompanied by a gust of cold air behind him, greeted with the sight of Quackity floating gracefully over him to a treehouse.

He turns around just in time to watch Schlatt clammer up a haphazardly built ladder case leading to a platform perched in the tree. Wilbur scrambled up behind him, rushing behind the teenager as they crossed a bridge made of ropes and a net. 

The actual house part of the hideout was a small but cozy room. The windows were covered with old sheets, and a lantern hung in the corner of the room. The room looked lived in, clothes and random belongings strewn around the floor. There was a plain chest shoved into the corner of the room that was slightly ajar, revealing bread and baked potatoes.

Quackity had arrived in the room before them, and was now perched in the corner under the lantern, surrounded by blankets and clothes. Schlatt sat down next to him on the floor, and patted the spot besides for Wilbur. The ram hybrid waited for Wilbur to sir down before breaking the silence.

“This was built by my dad, when he was a kid. He passed it on to me and my sister, but she never really used it, so it’s basically mine.”

Schlatt stretches and leans back against the wall behind him.“I would invite Quackity to live at the house, because I know my sister would let him, but she’s already got enough on her plate, raising Tubbo and living her own life to take care of another kid. Not to mention, that house is already crowded as fuck, I’m not sure where we could even put ‘em. So, my genius solution was just to keep him here, for the time being.”

He sighed. “It worked out great through the summer and fall, but now that it’s winter, I’m realizing that it’s not exactly… ideal.”

He stops talking, instead opting to stare at the wall opposite of him. A few minutes pass before Quackity, surprisingly, breaks the silence.

“Hello, I am Quackity,” he says, holding a hand out.”Wilbur, the brunet replies, taking his hand and shaking it.

“I am, uh, part… duck?” He looks at Schlatt for approval, who nods in response. “I left home, because, uh… big war. Family tells me-”

''Told,” Schlatt corrects, and Quackity nods. “Family told me to go. I followed other people, and was… alone, for some time... but then, I found Schlatt.” The ram hybrid nods again. “He helps me learn Common, I did not have to know it back home.”

He pauses for a second, mumbling something in his mother tongue, before starting again. “It is hard, living here. Very cold. But I am glad.” He paused again, and leaned back. “That is my story. What about you… Wilbur?”

The seventeen year old pauses. What should he tell him? He wasn’t about to tell either of them about his status as a lost prince, but he didn’t want to bullshit entirely them, either.

‘...I… left home. It was pretty rough, back then, because my family is… a bit broken. It’s, uh, because my- my little brother-” he swallowed the lump that formed in his throat- “my little brother… died.”

Both Quackity and Schlatt’s eyes widened at that. “Sorry,” Quackity whispers, looking away. “...How old is supposed to be now? Uh, if you don’t mind me asking, of course,” Schlatt asks.

Wilbur nods. “He was one when… that, uh, happened. He’d be… seven, now, I think?”

Schlatt gasped sharply, cursing and looking away. “Shit, man… I’m- I’m so sorry, about that… my brother is the same age as him, and I just… fuck, if he died, I don’t know what I’d do,”

Wilbur laughed dryly. “Yeah,” he admitted, “I thought that too. But, it’s been a few years now, and… I’m not really over it yet, I don’t think I ever truly will, but things have gotten better.”

Schlatt nodded slowly. “Yeah… I’m- I’m glad to hear that. That you got better.”

A beat of silence passed the three.

“My mom died when I was a kid,” Schlatt says. “It hurts that I was old enough to remember her, but not enough to really understand what was going on. She was sick with something, I don’t know what. But it killed her.”

He takes in a deep breath.

“My dad left us soon after. My sister basically raised me herself, my dad only popped around a few times a year. Then, one day, he brings back a fucking  _ baby _ and tells us that its our half sibling. The fucking bastard.”   
  
“A fucking prick, indeed,” Wilbur says. Schlatt grins at him.

“Yeah. Although… it’s not like I’m very great, either. I mean, I didn’t really help Puffy raise Tubbo. Hell, my neighbors are probably more family to him than I am! But I was bitter. I was just… pissed off. At everything. That’s my biggest regret, I guess,” he says.

“...It’s not too late, y’know,” Wilbur says, knowing full well that he’s a damn hypocrite. “To try and mend things. Your sister will still appreciate help, even if it is years overdue,” and both boys are looking at him now.

“And your brother loves you, I’m sure of that. You just need to make sure he knows you do, too.”

“...Thanks, Wilbur. I needed that.”

He smiles. “No problem. Anything for friends.”

“Ah,” Quackity interrupts, “am I a friend, too?”

Wilbur scoffs. “I still have no fucking idea who you are.”

The duck hybrid’s face scrunches up, and then starts rapidly speaking his mother tongue. Schlatt laughs, and Wilbut begs to know what he’s saying, only to be answered with laughter.

The once serene peace had been broken and had quickly dissolved into chaos, but the brunet didn’t mind.

It’s the closest Wilbur has felt to home in a while, and he can’t help but smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holy shit the chapters just get longer and longer why do i do this to myself
> 
> anyways first: sorry for the late upload!! it's still thursday for me, but usually I update at midnight and its 2 in the afternoon, so my bad guys
> 
> second: scheduling. i'm really sorry to tell you this, but i will no longer be updating weekly. anxiety and stress is just really getting to me, i'm sorry :(( i'll update as usual next week, but after that, updates may be a little more sporadic. atm im working out a new schedule, i'll tell yall about it next week 
> 
> anyway some new about meeeeeeee: i'm taking my driver's test today!!! in like an hour!!! wish me luck :))) also my birthday is on the 18th next week :)))))
> 
> story notes:   
> \- uhh probably not medically accurate lol  
> \- jack has pic of the fam because relatives keep photos of each other right? yeah probably  
> \- yes eret and niki and tommy's last names are manifold in this story  
> \- new characters pog???>?
> 
> anyways thank you for reading!! cya next week


	7. a/n

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> important notes regarding the story

hey yalllll

first things first: sorry for not updating last week like i said i would. i just ended up losing steam and just,,, didn't do it, and for that, i'm sorry.

second off: looking back, this story wasn't very well planned out, so...............

i'm going to rewrite it.

i wanna plan things out better, now that i've got kind of a grip, plus change the title to something original

but!! thank you guys for all the support!!!!!!!!! seriously, without you guys supporting me so much, i probably would've quit working on this a while ago lol. my writing skills have improved so much since the first chapter, and i really hope it shows, so i wanna make something better!!

there general plot will still be the same (niki finds baby, baby is tommy, 3/4 sleepy bois are sad), but im going to change jack manifold's relationship with the fam, as well as remove that nether portal bit from the chapter, because tbh, it wasn't really going anywhere, as well as some other random details

the one thing about it is that there wont be an update schedule for it, having a schedule kept me on track but gave me so much anxiety for some reason egggg

thank you so much everyone!! i hope you'll follow me to the remake!! :))

i'll post a note here when i finish it!! again, thank you so much everyone!!!

ps: if i made a discord server, would anyone join it? i dont expect it to be super active or anything, it'll really just be a place for me to update progress on the story and for you guys to discuss it if you want, but yeah! lemme know if you're interested in that!

thank you!

**Author's Note:**

> lemme know what u think! criticism is always welcome :))
> 
> also!! i am really bad about tws so if i forget one please tell me!!
> 
> edit: hi if you're just finding this now, thank you for reading!! but im discontinuing this version, skip to chap 7 for details :))


End file.
